Page 52 of Broken Chains

“You have plenty of options. You could stay home with Eve. I already make plenty to support us all and I love what I do,” I admitted.

“Not happening. I’m the man of this house. It’s my responsibility and I may be a lot of things, but a freeloader isn’t one of them.”

“It’s not freeloading, Oliver. We’re partners, in this life together.”

“It’s not happening. I will do whatever it takes to support you, Eve, and my brothers, Peyton. End of story.”

I sighed. “Fine. Start your own business then,” I said.

“What?” he asked, pulling back to look at me like that was the craziest thing I could have possibly said.

“I’m serious. The cabinets you built were greater quality than anything on the market, and the dining room table, Oliver, it’s amazing! People will pay good money for quality woodwork like that. You have a gift, so use it.”

He seemed to consider it for a whole ten seconds, then shook his head. “That will take too long to pay the bills, and I’d need a workshop. Now that the house is coming along, I’m not going to continue getting dust everywhere.”

“I have just the place, and I think you should consider it. In the meantime, Thomas will hire you on at the ranch if you’d like. It’s good, honest work if you can stand a bunch of Colliers,” I half teased.

He considered that for a moment. ‘Do you really think Thomas would give me a job?”

I shrugged. “For me, probably. I’m not sure how others would feel about a Larken working in Collier, if I’m being honest. I mean, we were all one pack at one point. With Jedidiah dead, I don’t know where the line of animosity is drawn anymore, between our packs.”

“I’ll talk to him.”

I smiled and nodded. “And the business?”

“What business?”

I rolled my eyes. “Your business.”

“Peyton, you know I love that you are being so supportive of all this, but I can’t do something like that.”

“Why not?”

“I told you, I’m not destroying the house every time I have a project to work on.”

I sighed, stepped out of his embrace and went to the dresser to pull out fresh clothes and change, leaving the destroyed ones in a heap on the floor. He rushed to right his own clothes before I opened the door.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Come on, just follow me,” I said.

I walked downstairs and out the back door. He raced to keep up.

“Where are we going?” he asked again as he grabbed my arm to spin me around towards him.

I just smiled and took his hand. “Trust me. You’ll see.”

We walked a little further towards the gardens, then turned right onto a small path we could barely see. I had taken to walking the grounds in the early mornings. I had always loved walking outdoors and it seemed a waste not to use the property I loved.

Upon exploring, I’d found a building just off the gardens but hidden from the house by overgrowth. When it finally came into view, Oliver stopped and gasped.

“What is this place?”

I shrugged. “An old barn maybe? I’m not sure, but it’s pretty big and open. With a little elbow grease, it could be the perfect workshop for you. And I happen to know a few guys that would be more than willing to help clean things up.”

He was quiet as he approached the building and started inspecting things. I followed him around quietly, letting him work things out and explore.

When he finally stopped, I waited. When he still didn’t say anything, I couldn’t stand it any longer. “Well?” I demanded.

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